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Protection dog training

By Ty Brown

Today’s society is getting more and more violent. We read in the daily news about the horrible atrocities that people commit against one another. Because of this crime level security professionals are seeing record profits. Many of these dollars are finding their way into an investment in protection dogs.

Let me take this opportunity to do a little education on terms. When speaking of these types of dogs there are several terms that are often incorrectly used.

1. Attack dog. An attack dog is typically a poorly trained dog. An attack dog is often used in a junk yard or open area that needs to be protected. An attack dog is often anti-social. His purpose is to bite whoever comes into his area. He probably isn’t good with kids, strangers, other dogs and wouldn’t make a good pet. His function is completely utilitarian.

2. Watch Dog. A watch dog can be a big dog or a small dog. He can be a purebred or a mutt. His primary function is to sound the alarm. When he hears approaching people he barks and growls and alerts his owners to their presence and the strangers to his presence. He is not trained to bite an intruder and probably wouldn’t if tested.

3. Guard dog. Guard dog is a somewhat antiquated term. It came from days past when dogs were often used to watch over flocks, herds, and other animals. Nowadays, a guard dog is a term to describe a dog that watches over an estate. He isn’t allowed indoors, he merely is a sentry placed outside to provide a visual deterrent. That is normally the extent of his training. Some guard dogs are trained to apprehend an intruder, but most of their work is done with their tough, mean look.

4. Protection dog. Protection dog training is some of the highest level of training found anywhere. A well trained protection dog is the decathlete of the dog world. He is versatile and adaptive. He has many tools in his belt. He is good with kids. He is social with adults. His owners can take him to the park, to their office, to the pet store without fear that he will attack someone unprovoked. He has great obedience training. He will listen to commands both on and off leash. While he is social with everyone, he is capable of ‘flipping the switch’ and showing aggression and apprehending an offender on the command of his owner.

And he is expensive. If you were to want to do the protection dog training yourself it would cost you $1000 and up for a good working prospect puppy, several years of training, and thousands in equipment and protection dog training club fees. There are several companies now who specialize in these types of dogs. Expect to pay anywhere from $7500 and up for one of their highly trained protection dogs. Is it worth the money? Just ask someone who has invested in a highly trained protection dog. Imagine possessing a dog that has all the wonderful qualities of a family pet, combined with impeccable obedience and manners, who also provides the peace of mind of security and protection. Many owners of these dogs don’t bat an eye at paying $25,000-$50,000 for such a creature.

So what is the secret to protection dog training? How can one animal possess all of these wonderful qualities? It all starts with the correct dog. Protection dogs are chosen from proven stock who have shown an ability to work for several generations.

The right protection dog is confident. This confidence allows for both sociability and strength in protection work. His confidence allows him to be approached by strangers and handle it with grace. It is the unconfident dog who shows aggression toward everyone. This dog perceives everyone as a threat. A protection dog can not perceive everyone as a threat. A dog who sees the world in terms of threat can’t be taken anywhere. He must be kept locked up at home so that he doesn’t attack someone without provocation. A locked up dog does no good for his owner.

A good protection dog, although social, should be capable of immediately changing his perception of a situation on the command of his owner. Where initially he may view an approaching stranger as a non-threat he must immediately jump into action on the word of his owner.

This confidence comes from breeding. It comes from generations of choosing the right male to go with the right female. Dogs that show a lack of confidence or skittishness are not allowed to breed. Good breeding is as much an art as it is science. Because of this, a dog who possesses such confidence and ability is a rare find. Most protection dog trainers find their animals in Europe where generations of sound breeding and training have been able to produce many fine dogs today.


5. Police Dogs. A police dog is not a protection dog. Protection dog training shares many of the same principles with police dog training but has some major differences. The primary function of a protection dog is as a last resort defensive tool. A police dog, however, can be used as an offensive weapon to find and take down a possible criminal. Police dogs can also be trained in detection work. They have been trained to search out drugs, explosives, cadavers, and lost people.

Are you interested in owning a protection dog? Contact Ty Brown through his training company, CommuniCanine Inc., for more information.